Pure clean cigarette filter

Abstract

An improved tobacco smoke filter which retains a majority of the tar and nicotine and noxious gases from tobacco smoke. The filter is composed of fibrous filaments having equal quantities of two organic acids or salts of organic acids or polyhydric alcohols dispersed throughout the fibrous filaments.

I claim: 
     
       1. A tobacco smoke filter which retains tar, nicotine and noxious gases of tobacco smoke, wherein the filter comprises fibrous filaments joined together in a bundle having equal quantities of two organic acids or two salts of organic acids or an organic acid and a salt of an organic acid dispersed throughout the fibrous filaments. 
     
     
       2. The tobacco smoke filter of claim 1, wherein the organic acid is present in aqueous solution at a concentration of from about 5% to about 20% weight to volume. 
     
     
       3. The tobacco smoke filter of claim 1, wherein the salt of an organic acid is present in aqueous solution at a concentration of from about 5% to about 20% weight to volume. 
     
     
       4. The tobacco smoke filter of claim 1, wherein the organic acid comprises citric acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid, sorbic acid, propionic acid, ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid, D(-) gluconic-acid δ-lactone, 2-ethyl pyromeconic acid, or 3-hydroxy-2-methyl-γ-pyrone. 
     
     
       5. The tobacco smoke filter of claim 1, wherein the salt of an organic acid comprises sodium citrate, sodium propionate, sodium gluconate, potassium gluconate, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, potassium citrate, calcium citrate, monosodium glutamate, copper gluconate, or sodium erythorbate. 
     
     
       6. The tobacco smoke filter of claim 1, wherein the fibrous filaments comprise cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose, paper, cotton, nylon, rayon, polypropylene, polyvinylidene chloride, polyethylene, or polystyrene or combinations thereof. 
     
     
       7. The tobacco smoke filter of claim 1, wherein the fibrous filaments are plasticizer free. 
     
     
       8. The tobacco smoke filter of claim 1, wherein the filter comprises an additional untreated fibrous component ranging in length from about 2 mm to about 7 mm. 
     
     
       9. A tobacco smoke filter which retains tar, nicotine and noxious gases of tobacco smoke, wherein the filter comprises fibrous filaments of hydrophilic cellulose acetate joined together in a bundle wherein equal quantities of citric acid and tartaric acid in aqueous form, each in a concentration of from about 5% to about 10% weight to volume, are dispersed throughout the cellulose acetate fibers. 
     
     
       10. The tobacco smoke filter of claim 9, wherein an additional filter element, composed of untreated hydrophilic cellulose acetate and having a length ranging from about 2 mm to about 7 mm, is added to the filter. 
     
     
       11. A tobacco smoke filter which retains tar, nicotine and noxious gases of tobacco smoke wherein the filter comprises fibrous filaments joined together in a bundle having equal quantities of two polyhydric alcohols or a polyhydric alcohol and the salt of an organic acid dispersed throughout the bundle of fibrous filaments. 
     
     
       12. The tobacco smoke filter of claim 11, wherein the polyhydric alcohol comprises sorbitol, or maltol. 
     
     
       13. The tobacco smoke filter of claim 11, wherein the salt of an organic acid comprises monosodium glutamate, sodium erythorbate, sodium citrate, sodium propionate, sodium gluconate, potassium gluconate, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, potassium citrate, calcium citrate or copper gluconate. 
     
     
       14. The tobacco smoke filter of claim 11, wherein the fibrous filaments comprise one or more of cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose, paper, cotton, nylon, rayon, polypropylene, polyvinylidene chloride, polyethylene or combinations thereof. 
     
     
       15. The tobacco smoke filter of claim 11, wherein the fibrous filaments are hydrophilic. 
     
     
       16. A method for retaining tar, nicotine and noxious gases in a tobacco smoke filter comprising: a) mixing together in an aqueous medium two organic acids or two salts of an organic acid or an organic acid and a salt of an organic acid in equal quantities to form an aqueous solution; and   b) applying the aqueous solution to a filter element in sufficient quantity, wherein the organic acid or salt of an organic acid retains tar, nicotine and noxious gases from tobacco smoke.   
     
     
       17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the filter element is deplasticized to make the filter element hydrophilic. 
     
     
       18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the organic acid comprises citric acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid, sorbic acid, propionic acid, ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid, D(-) gluconic acid-δ-lactone, 2-ethyl pyromeconic acid, or 3-hydroxy-2-methyl-γ-pyrone. 
     
     
       19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the salt of an organic acid comprises sodium citrate, sodium propionate, sodium gluconate, potassium gluconate, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, potassium citrate, calcium citrate, monosodium glutamate, copper gluconate, or sodium erythorbate. 
     
     
       20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the filter element comprises one or more of cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose, paper, cotton, nylon, rayon, polypropylene, polyvinylidene chloride, polyethylene or polystyrene or combinations thereof. 
     
     
       21. The method according to claim 16, wherein each organic acid or each salt of an organic acid comprises from about 5% to about 100% weight to volume of the aqueous solution. 
     
     
       22. The method according to claim 16, wherein the filter element comprises an additional untreated filter element ranging in length from about 2 mm to about 7 mm. 
     
     
       23. A method for retaining tar, nicotine and noxious gases in a tobacco smoke filter comprising: a) mixing together in an aqueous medium equal quantities of citric acid and tartaric acid to form an aqueous solution wherein each acid comprises from about 5% to 10% weight to volume of the solution; and   b) applying the solution in sufficient quantity to a filter element, comprising filaments of hydrophilic cellulose acetate, such that the citric acid and tartaric acid retain tar, nicotine and noxious gases from tobacco smoke.   
     
     
       24. The method according to claim 23, wherein an additional filter element, composed of untreated hydrophilic cellulose acetate having a length of from about 2 mm to about 7 mm is added to the filter to extend the life of the filter. 
     
     
       25. A method for retaining tar, nicotine and noxious gases in a tobacco smoke filter comprising: a) mixing together in an aqueous medium equal quantities of two polyhydric alcohols or a salt of an organic acid and a polyhydric alcohol to form a solution; and   b) applying the solution in sufficient quantity to a filter element such that the polyhydric alcohol and salt of an organic acid retain tar, nicotine and noxious gases from tobacco smoke.   
     
     
       26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the polyhydric alcohols comprise sorbitol, or maltol. 
     
     
       27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the salts of an organic acid comprise sodium citrate, sodium propionate, sodium gluconate, potassium gluconate, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, potassium citrate, calcium citrate, monosodium glutamate, copper gluconate, or sodium erythorbate. 
     
     
       28. The method according to claim 28, wherein the filter element comprises one or more of cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose, paper, cotton, nylon, rayon, polypropylene, polyvinylidene chloride, polyethylene or polystyrene. 
     
     
       29. The method according to claim 25, wherein each polyhydric alcohol or each salt of an organic acid comprises from about 50% to about 100% weight to volume of the solution.